The present invention relates generally to angleboard edge protectors for protecting the corner or edge regions of individual packages, fragile articles or products, palletized loads, and the like, and more particularly to a new and improved angleboard edge protector which is uniquely constructed so as to protectively surround or envelop a corner or edge region of an individual package, fragile article or product, palletized load, or the like, yet simultaneously facilitates the reduction in the amount of paper required in order to fabricate the angleboard edge protector without sacrificing the integrity, strength, and protective qualities of the angleboard edge protector.
Package, article, palletized load edge or corner protectors, corner post supports, and the like, are of course well-known in the packaging and shipping industries, and are accordingly widely used in connection with the shipping and transportation of various packages, articles, products, palletized loads, and the like, in order to protect the same during transit, wherein it is particularly desirable to protect the corner or edge portions or regions thereof. Typical or conventional edge or corner protectors, or corner post supports, are disclosed, for example, within U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,928 which issued to Bishop on May 3, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,611 which issued to Liebel on Jan. 26, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,041 which issued to Webb et al. on Dec. 29, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,692 which issued to Knierim on Nov. 10, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,541 which issued to Liebel on July.21, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,689 which issued to McFarland on Sep. 17, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,893 which issued to Liebel on Sep. 20, 1988, U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,915 which issued to Sorenson on Aug. 23, 1983, U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,677 which issued to Collingwood on May 11, 1976, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,245 which issued to Palmer on Oct. 27, 1970.
All of the aforenoted patented implements are basically similar to each other and representative of conventional corner or edge protectors in that the same comprise two laminated leg structures disposed at 90xc2x0 with respect to each other so as to effectively define an interior region within which the corner or edge portion, of the particular article, product, package, or palletized load, to be protected is adapted to be disposed. The number of layers of paper, fiber board, corrugated board, or the like, from which the particular edge or corner protector is fabricated, plays an inherent part in determining or predetermining the strength of the particular edge or corner protector, or corner post support. However, it is also well-known in the packaging and shipping industries that the largest cost component inherent in connection with the manufacture of fabrication of the corner or edge protectors is the cost of the paper components per se or raw materials. It would therefore be desirable to substantially reduce the amount of paper raw materials that are required in connection with the manufacture or fabrication of such corner or edge protectors, however, care must be taken so as to ensure that the structural integrity and strength characteristics of the corner or edge protectors are not adversely compromised.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved corner or edge protector wherein the amount of paper raw materials that are required in connection with the manufacture or fabrication of corner or edge protectors can be substantially reduced while simultaneously preserving the structural integrity and strength characteristics of each manufacture or fabricated edge or corner protector.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved angleboard edge or corner protector for use in connection with the protection of corner or edge regions of various articles, packages, products, palletized loads, and the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved angleboard edge or corner protector for use in connection with the protection of corner or edge regions of various articles, packages, products, palletized loads, and the like, whereby the new and improved angleboard edge or corner protector overcomes the various economic disadvantages characteristic of similar conventional or PRIOR ART edge or corner protectors.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved angleboard edge or corner protector for use in connection with the protection of corner or edge regions of various articles, packages, products, palletized loads, and the like, wherein the unique and novel structure characteristic of the new and improved angleboard edge or corner protector constructed in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention enables edge or corner protector manufacturers to realize or achieve substantial savings in costs incurred in connection with the fabrication or manufacture of the edge or corner protectors.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved angleboard edge or corner protector for use in connection with the protection of corner or edge regions of various articles, packages, products, palletized loads, and the like, wherein the unique and novel structure characteristic of the new and improved angleboard edge or corner protector constructed in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention enables edge or corner protector manufacturers to realize or achieve substantial savings in costs incurred in connection with the fabrication or manufacture of the edge or corner protectors as a result of a reduction in the amount of raw material paper that is required to in fact fabricate or manufacture the edge or corner protectors.
A last object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved angleboard edge or corner protector for use in connection with the protection of corner or edge regions of various articles, packages, products, palletized loads, and the like, wherein the unique and novel structure characteristic of the new and improved angleboard edge or corner protector constructed in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention enables edge or corner protector manufacturers to realize or achieve substantial savings in costs incurred in connection with the fabrication or manufacture of the edge or corner protectors as a result of a reduction in the amount of raw material paper that is required to in fact fabricate or manufacture the edge or corner protectors, and yet, the structural integrity and strength characteristics of the fabricated or manufactured edge or corner protectors are not adversely compromised.
The foregoing and other objectives are achieved in accordance with the teachings and principles of the present invention through the provision of a new and improved edge or corner protector which comprises a predetermined number of plies of paper serially disposed atop each other so as to form a laminate when glued together, and wherein, alternative layers or lamina of the overall laminated edge or corner protector have different width dimensions. More particularly, for example, the edge or corner protector will be fabricated or manufactured from a plurality of alternating paper plies which have alternative width dimensions, and the paper plies are bent at a common central portion through means of an angle of 90xc2x0 such that the resulting edge or corner protector comprises a common central apex portion and two leg portions disposed at an angle of 90xc2x0 with respect to each other. The outermost paper plies of the edge or corner protector will have a width dimension of, for example, six inches (6.00xe2x80x3) and the remaining alternating intermediate paper plies will have width dimensions of, for example, three inches (3.00xe2x80x3) and six inches (6.00xe2x80x3).
In this manner, the first half or proximal section of each leg portion which is disposed closest to the commmon apex portion of the edge or corner protector will comprise all of the paper plies forming the edge or corner protector whereby such first half or proximal section of each leg portion of the edge or corner protector will have a first predetermined caliper or thickness dimension, whereas the second half or distal section of each leg portion which is disposed furthest from the commmon apex portion of the edge or corner protector will comprise only the widest paper plies forming the edge or corner protector whereby such second half or distal section of each leg portion of the edge or corner protector will have a second predetermined caliper or thickness dimension which is less than the aforenoted first predetermined caliper or thickness dimension characteristic of the first half or proximal section of each leg portion of the edge or corner protector. In this manner, a substantial cost savings in paper raw materials can be achieved or realized while simultaneously preserving the structural integrity and strength characteristics of the edge or corner protector.